1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water-decomposable cleaning product which is used to remove dirt in a place where water is used, such as in a flush toilet and which can be discarded into water after the use thereof, and a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Showa 62(1987)-186833 (JP62-186833) discloses a disposable toilet cleaning brush used for cleaning a flush toilet.
The toilet cleaning brush is produced using a paper comprising: i) staple fibers of a ligneous pulp and ii) a binder, such as CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), by a method in which plural cuts are formed in the paper and the paper is wound to form a brush. The toilet cleaning brush is fixed to a head of the paper-made handhold of the brush. After the bowl is wiped with the toilet cleaning brush, the cleaning brush and the handhold together are discarded into a flush toilet and are decomposed in water. It is also described that for controlling the time needed for the dissolution of the paper in water, the surface of the brush is subjected to a wax treatment.
The JP62-186833 describes that since the time needed for cleaning a toilet bowl is such a short time as between 10 seconds and 20 seconds, before the paper constituting the toilet cleaning brush is dissolved in water, the cleaning can be accomplished.
However, the toilet cleaning brush produced with the paper itself which is produced by fixing ligneous pulp fibers through a water-soluble CMC is swollen at the contact thereof with water during the cleaning of a toilet bowl and the strength thereof is extremely lowered, so that it becomes difficult to wipe off the dirt adhered to the bowl by such a brush. With respect to the brush which has been subjected to a wax treatment, since a wax component may suppress the decomposition of the paper in water, it takes a long time until the brush has been decomposed in a purification tank or the like.